Screenshots of a headline from a satirical “news” website are being used out of context to spread outrage over a fabricated quote falsely attributed to Vice President Kamala Harris. Let’s take a look at the facts.
NewsLit takeaway
Outrageous quotes make for optimal viral content online — but they are often either misleading or inauthentic. In this case, a screenshot of an insulting but fictional quote satirically attributed to Harris circulated without an actual link or reference to the satire website where it was originally published. Satire, particularly when published to resemble news reports, is often mistaken for actual news online — and at times is “stolen”with the intent to deceive others. Satirical “news” content is also sometimes plagiarized and republished without satire labels or disclaimers by clickbait websites seeking to convert outrage into quick clicks.
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